In this episode we delve into herbal medicine from a culinary perspective by baking with the queen of baking spices.. cinnamon. It’s no surprise that this spice has a pastry named for it. Cinnamon is prominent as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Its warming quality stimulates circulation. We talk about the differences between ceylon and cassia cinnamon along with when to choose between the two.

This episode of An Herbal Diary continues the Herbal Bake Club segment of the podcast highlighting pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls. I have started a virtual herbal bake club and am including a companion podcast episode for each recipe.

Please consider joining my Herbal Bake Club!! I have also started a newsletter on Substack. Please subscribe for all the details, recipes and zoom link for the meeting. I hope that our herbal bake club will give us a chance to smile a bit together, immerse ourselves in kitchen herbalism and bake lovely creations.

If you are subscribed to my Substack, you are automatically invited to Herbal Bake Club meetings. Check your inbox for the recipes and Zoom link.

If you are not yet subscribed to my new Substack, please head to notesfrommykitchenapothecary.substack.com to join. I would love to have you join!

Spice Source Mentions:
Diaspora Co.
Burlap and Barrel
Mountain Rose Herbs
Herbalist & Alchemist (spiced bitters)

Sending you warm baking and gathering together thoughts and thank you for listening!!

Subscribe to Notes from A Kitchen Apothecary on Substack

Plants labeled as adaptogens take the word literally. These herbs lend us a way to adapt, a way to adjust to what life throws at us. You can’t go wrong taking adaptogens, but you can go wrong in how you take them. There are two paths to careful selection. Work with an herbalist who can guide you to adaptogens that fit you best or arm yourself with deep study. I hope this episode will help with the deep study path. I am beginning a series on adaptogens. In this first episode, I  focus on the basic foundational principle that adaptogen is considered an herbal action. We also talk about how social media may be a way of community herbalism. 

Resources to find Herbalists:
The American Herbalist Guild
HerbMentor
HerbRally

Book Mentions:Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by David Winston, RH(AHG)
The Alchemy of Herbs : Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal by Rosalee de la Foret

Link to Ashwagandha Chai episode

Sending you warm summer thoughts and thank you for joining me!

CONNECT WITH DINA

Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.

—Deepest gratitude to Andrea Klunder, my podcast boss.  Find her at thecreativeimposter.com.

Original music by Dylan Rice

—

Please send me your comments, requests, or feedback.  Send me a message, voice or write an email, my email is dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

To get herb inspired recipes, plant profiles and read more about herbal medicine, visit my website at: theherbalbakeshoppe.com

Connect with me on Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, please SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW where ever you like to listen to podcasts! And if you have time, kindly leave me a rating and review.

—

ABOUT DINA

—

Dina Ranade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. She is also a mom of three – two daughters and one son all now in college. Dina loves cooking for her family despite the challenges this creates. She passionately loves exploring culinary herbalism and has been working on stocking her home kitchen apothecary or medicine cabinet.

Plant energetics is a way to understand how a plant can affect the body through our senses and how it feels in the body. Energetics is subtle, but so helpful when choosing herbs. The difference between warming and cooling plant energetics is like feeling the warmth of the sun versus a cool plunge into the ocean. In this episode, we delve deep into warming energetics and match these with a group of trees that provide great examples: evergreens. These trees have great potential for kitchen uses and herbal remedies. We talk all about juniper, fir, hemlock and spruce trees.

Some examples of herbs with warming energetic qualities:
ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper, turmeric, garlic, rosemary, cumin, black pepper.

Sending you the warmest thoughts and thank you for joining me!

CONNECT WITH DINA
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.

—Deepest gratitude to Andrea Klunder, my podcast boss. Find her at thecreativeimposter.com.

Original music by Dylan Rice
—

Please send me your comments, requests, or feedback. Send me a message, voice or write an email, my email is dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
To get herb inspired recipes, plant profiles and read more about herbal medicine, visit my website at: theherbalbakeshoppe.com

Join me on Patreon
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, please SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW where ever you like to listen to podcasts! And if you have time, kindly leave me a rating and review.

—
ABOUT DINA
—
Dina Ranade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. She is also a mom of three – two daughters and one son all now in college. Dina loves cooking for her family despite the challenges this creates. She passionately loves exploring culinary herbalism and has been working on stocking her home kitchen apothecary or medicine cabinet.

Pine trees are trees that are very familiar especially because of their long thin needles and pine cones. But they seem overlooked for their culinary and herbal remedy benefits. In this episode, I am back in my kitchen with elegant pine needles brewing a tea blended with warming spices and preparing a skin healing salve. I’ll talk you through all the steps.
Thank you for joining me!

Pine Needle Chai:
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon dried ginger
2 teaspoons dried orange peel or zest of 1 orange
1 allspice berry
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh pine needles or 2 teaspoons dried
1½ cups (12 ounces) water
Combine all spices (not pine needles) and water in a small saucepan covered with a lid.. Bring water to a gentle boil on medium heat. Turn down to the lowest setting, simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat, add pine needles, continue to steep covered with lid for at least 30 minutes. Strain into a tea mug, add milk and honey to taste. Reheat as desired.

Pine Needle Infused Oil:
2 tablespoons dried, powdered pine needles
8 ounces olive oil
Heat 2 inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler to simmer. Combine dried pine needles and olive oil in the top of the double boiler and place on the bottom portion of simmering water. Place a paper towel on top of the pot and then cover with a lid. Heat oil and pine needles just to warm for 30 minutes, do not allow to simmer. Remove from heat and infuse for 30-60 minutes. Repeat the warming and infusing process three times. Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much oil as possible.

Pine Needle Salve:

1 ounce (28 grams or ⅛ cup) beeswax pastilles
4 ounces (120ml) pine needle infused oil
20-30 drops pine essential oil
Stainless steel tins with lids or other heat proof containers.
Heat 2 inches of water in the bottom of a double boiler to simmer. If using beeswax in the form a a block, grate or pound with a hammer to break into small pieces. Add beeswax pastilles or small pieces from a block into the top of the double boiler with hot water in the bottom portion. Continue to heat on lowest setting until beeswax is melted. Add infused pine needle oil, this will cause beeswax to slightly solidify again, stir with oil until melted again. Remove from heat, add essential oil. Ladle mixture into the tins and leave at room temperature until salve has hardened. Cover with lids and label.

Source for Dried Pine Needles and Beeswax:
Beeswax pastilles: Mountain Rose Herbs
Beeswax block: Mountain Rose Herbs
Pine needles: Foraged

CONNECT WITH DINA
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.

—Deepest gratitude to Andrea Klunder, my podcast boss. Find her at thecreativeimposter.com.

Original music by Dylan Rice
—

Please send me your comments, requests, or feedback. Send me a message, voice or write an email, my email is dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
To get herb inspired recipes, plant profiles and read more about herbal medicine, visit my website at: theherbalbakeshoppe.com

Join me on Patreon
Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

If you enjoyed this episode, please SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW where ever you like to listen to podcasts! And if you have time, kindly leave me a rating and review.
—
ABOUT DINA
—
Dina Ranade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. She is also a mom of three – two daughters and one son all now in college. Dina loves cooking for her family despite the challenges this creates. She passionately loves exploring culinary herbalism and has been working on stocking her home kitchen apothecary or medicine cabinet.

Lemon balm is like a blanket of peace, calming a nervous stomach, reducing anxiety, elevating  a gloomy feeling, and providing relief for sleepless nights. That’s a lot, but that’s also not all. 

Lemon balm is easy to grow, lovely to eat or drink as tea, powerful in its own right but not in a way that lends caution to using it. To get more lemon balm into our lives, can only be a good thing. And this is why I deem it a little herbal saver. 

Thank you for joining me for this part 2 lemon balm monograph. (Episode 52 is part 1)

Lemon Balm Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped lemon balm

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard. Whisk together until blended well. Stir in chopped lemon balm and salt and pepper. 

Store in the refrigerator. Serve with fennel and radish salads.

Photo of Lemon Balm from Henriette’s Herbal Homepage

Source for Lemon Balm Starter Plants:

Companion Plants

Strictly Medicinal Seeds

CONNECT WITH DINA

Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.

—Deepest gratitude to Andrea Klunder, my podcast boss.  Find her at thecreativeimposter.com. 

Original music by Dylan Rice

—

Please send me your comments, requests, or feedback.  Send me a message, voice or write an email, my email is dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

To get herb inspired recipes, plant profiles and read more about herbal medicine, visit my website at: theherbalbakeshoppe.com

Join me on Patreon

Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

If you enjoyed this episode, please SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW where ever you like to listen to podcasts! And if you have time, kindly leave me a rating and review. 

—

ABOUT DINA

—

Dina Ranade is a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild and a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. She is also a mom of three – two daughters and one son all now in college. Dina loves cooking for her family despite the challenges this creates. She passionately loves exploring culinary herbalism and has been working on stocking her home kitchen apothecary or medicine cabinet. 

Could chicken soup be medicinal because of the plant and herbal ingredients?. Chicken adds nourishment but I propose the healing qualities are due to onions, thyme, bay leaves and pepper.

Chicken Stock (from my kitchen)
½ gallon water (2 quarts)
3 pounds chicken bones (joints – wings, backs)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon thyme
½ Tablespoon pepper
2 bay leaves
Run bones under cold water for 5 minutes, drain. Add bones to stock pot with water, bring to gentle simmer. Skim off impurities and fat that rises to the surface. Add mirepoix and herbs. Gently simmer uncovered, replenishing water as needed for 3-4 hours. Strain and cool quickly. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Mentions:
MFK Fisher How to Cook Like a Wolf

// Listen to An Herbal Diary podcast on iTunes or Google podcasts //

Join me in my kitchen apothecary as I make the easiest stock ever. Just garlic and water simmered together results in a versatile, flavorful and densely nourishing stock. It’s perfect for making vegetable soup, rice, marinara sauce or beans.

*Garlic Stock*

makes 2 quarts
2 whole heads garlic
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 quarts water
Gently wash garlic head under running water, pat dry with a paper towel.
Slice garlic head in half horizontally.
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add halved garlic cut side down, cooked stirring occasionally about 3 minutes until garlic begins to smell aromatic. Take care not to burn garlic.
Add water, bring to boil, then lower heat to just maintain a simmer. Continue to simmer for 1 hour. Strain, discard garlic and peels. May season to taste.

Chocolate begins as the seeds of Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree. After much processing, we are gifted cocoa powder which is in itself an herbal remedy, a delicious one at that. Come join me in this pop-up tea salon episode where we brew a warm comfort cup of cocoa.

**NEW TRIAL OFFERING: Herbal Kitchen Styling Sessions**
To Schedule Click Here

The more I work with weedy plants from my yard and in my kitchen, the greater my confidence in them grows. Plantain is the perfect bridge for embracing the idea that plants growing around us are remedies readily available. Plantain is a rockstar for healing the skin and mucous membranes where it can soothe pain, cleanse and promote wound healing.
What plantain heals externally it can also do internally.

Photo of Plantain major
Photo of Plantain lanceolata

For more on plantain poultices listen to episode 44 of An Herbal Diary

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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This is not the tropical fruit plantain, so yummy sauteed in butter. This plantain is the leafy green weed growing in any grassy yard, field or meadow. This plantain tops the list for herbal first aid remedies, especially for rashes and insect bites. In this episode, we explore topical uses including the amazing plantain poultice.

Plantain Poultice Recipe:
Big handful fresh plantain leaves OR ½ cup dried plantain leaf
Hot water, just to moisten
1 Tablespoon calendula oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
Blend either in mortar and pestle or blender
Thicken as needed to form paste using
1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon flour, ground flaxseed or bentonite clay powder

Image of Plantain (Plantago major)
Image of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Sources for Dried Plantain
Aunty Peaches Apothecary
Rosemary’s Garden

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Sending you wishes for abundant health and healing for all that is happening in your life ??

Medicine from plants can’t replace pharmaceuticals, but botanical remedies can contribute to prevention and recovery from illness. In this episode, I explore building the kitchen herbal pantry to include cough remedies.

Categories and Examples of Herbs with therapeutic use for coughing
Demulcents are herbs that soothe and protect mucous membranes from irritation and inflammation and thin mucus
Examples are flax seed, chia seed, oats, okra, marshmallow, licorice, fenugreek, fennel, slippery elm, mullein, violet, butterfly weed

Expectorants are herbs that help move excessive mucus out of the respiratory system
Examples include wild cherry bark, plantain, hyssop, fenugreek, thyme, fennel, licorice, ginger, marshmallow, anise, onion, garlic, eucalyptus, pine, elecampane, lobelia, horehound

Decongestants reduce and/or eliminate the formation of mucus or phlegm
Examples are anise, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, fenugreek, mullein, marshmallow, licorice, horehound, sumac, wild cherry, elecampane, lobelia

Astringents dry up mucus, be careful with astringents, use only if copious mucus
Examples include peppermint, spearmint, bayberry, sumach, raspberry leaf, wild cherry, cleavers, lobelia

Antispasmodics relax muscles, decrease constriction and tightness, help coughing spasms
Examples are Fenugreek, fennel, lavender, peppermint, lemon balm, mullein, Angelica, bayberry, red clover, elecampane and lobelia

Mentions:
American Herbalist Guild COVID19 Resource page
Respiratory System and Respiratory Immunity: Course offered by the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism

Recipe for Onion Poultice:
1-2 onions, steamed
½ cup flour or cornmeal
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar except distilled white vinegar)
Mix together to form paste, spread onto a cheesecloth, wrap in plastic. Place on chest and cover with a towel to keep warm. Keep on chest for at least 30 minutes.

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Sending Compassion and Concern ?

Sharing three inspirations of courage from my kitchen apothecary. A calming chai, ideas for a little remedy kit that you probably have already at home and thoughts for future herbal kitchen planning.

Ashwaganda Chai Herb/Spice Blend
¼ cup ashwagandha root powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
¼ teaspoon clove powder
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
To Prepare Chai
1 cup milk – cow, soy, coconut, nut, oat
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons herb/spice blend
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Blend and warm milk and water, add herb/spice powder, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove lid, add vanilla and maple syrup, simmer for 5 additional minutes

Finally a kitchen medicine baking episode! This one starring herbal infused culinary oils. Not to be confused with essential oils, herb infused oils are easy to prepare at home and versatile. Always use dried herbs for infusing into an oil like olive oil. The creative options are endless. Perhaps begin by baking this biscotti with me! ? ? ?

Mentions:
Culinary Infused Oil Safety
Rosemary Gladstar
Patience Gray’s Honey from a Weed

To Make Herbal Infused Culinary Oil:
Use sterilized Mason Jars
Fill a jar approximately 1/3rd full with dried herbs
Pour in olive oil to cover herbs by one inch
OR
Weigh and measure dried herbs and oil using 1:5 ratio
Cover with lid; label
Infuse in cool, dark cabinet for 10-14 days
Strain and store refrigerated.

Recipe for Rosemary Chocolate Chip Biscotti

** Please join me for my new monthly online group gathering, a kitchen medicine club, a place to grow confidence together!
Each month we will have a live discussion that will be hosted on Zoom.
With all of my heart I would love you to join me, click here to join on Patreon
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.**

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
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* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Become a Patron!

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Herbal tinctures are welcome and sustainable additions to your kitchen medicine cabinet – whether homemade or purchased. And they are so easy to prepare. Join me to delve into the basics of herbal extractions.

Herbal Tincture Weight to Volume Ratios
Fresh Herbs 1:2 (1 part herb to 2 parts menstruum)
Dried Herbs 1:4 or 1:5 (1 part herb to 4 or 5 parts menstruum)

Supplies:
Organic High Proof Neutral Alcohol Spirits
Tincture Storage Bottles

Mentions:
Michael Moore’s Herbal Tinctures in Clinical Practice
Herbalist & Alchemist

** Please join me for my new monthly online group gathering, a kitchen medicine club, a place to grow confidence together!
Each month we will have a live discussion that will be hosted on Zoom.
With all of my heart I would love you to join me, click here to join on Patreon
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.**

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Astragalus is one of the premier immune system nourishing and strengthening herbal medicines. The best way to use an immune system tonifying herb like astragalus is to begin taking it when you are not sick, beginning about six weeks prior to the height of cold and flu season. It’s ideal for incorporating into cooking on a daily basis. In this episode, I share a recipe for creamy chocolate nut truffles with a big dose of astragalus powder as an ingredient.

Ingredients for Creamy Chocolate Nut Astragalus Truffles
½ cup figs, chopped
1 cup almonds
½ cup cashews
3 TBS cocoa powder (Dagoba)/Hershey’s is also fine/
additional cocoa powder for coating
3TBS honey
2TBS astragalus powder
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions
Soak figs in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain. Add both nuts to the food processor, process until forms a nut butter paste, about 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and process again until blended to a smooth consistency.Chill for 1-2 hours, then roll 1 tsp batter into truffle balls, then coat with additional cocoa powder, coconut or chopped nuts.

Mentions:
Astragalus Root and Powder, Mountain Rose Herbs
Aphrodite Aroma Spray, Mountain Rose Herbs
Astragalus Tincture, Herbalist & Alchemist

** Please join me for my new monthly online group gathering, a kitchen medicine club, a place to grow confidence together!
Each month we will have a live discussion that will be hosted on Zoom.
With all of my heart I would love you to join me, click here to join on Patreon
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.**

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
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Become a Patron!

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Lovely red clover may be a weedy and grow wild, but it is not to be overlooked as a medicinal herb. This full monograph delves into all of its nuances from garden friend to delicious tea to profound remedy.

Note on Photo: On a recent travel adventure to Romania, I realized that with plants as your friends you are never far from home or alone. Many times, I would look down and see a familiar face in the form of herbs I love most. Here in front of Bran Castle, also known as Dracula’s Castle, deep in the heart of Translvania – I found the beautiful Trifolium pratense, red clover!

Mentions:
Mypronouns.org
Strictly Medicinal Seeds
David Winston’s Alterative Formula from Herbalist & Alchemist

Celebrated Herbalists:
David Winston
Michael Moore
David Hoffmann
Matthew Wood

Red Clover Fritter Batter Recipe:
– 1 Cup Flour
– 1 Tsp baking powder
– 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
– 1 Egg
– ¼ Cup melted butter
– ¾ Cup milk

** Please join me for my new monthly online group gathering, a kitchen medicine club, a place to grow confidence together!
Each month we will have a live discussion that will be hosted on Zoom.
With all of my heart I would love you to join me, click here to join on Patreon
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.**

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
* Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
* You can also subscribe via Google Podcasts
* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Become a Patron!

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

We are forever learning about the role of plant compounds in our bodies, especially those with complexity like isoflavones and phytoestrogens. Red clover and traditional whole soy foods are example sources of these phytochemicals. In this episode, my goal is to reframe some of the controversies.

Sources for Red Clover Dried or Tincture:
Avena Botanicals
Mountain Rose Herbs
Herbalist & Alchemist

Mentions:
Aviva Romm MD: Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health
Ellen Evert Hopman

** Please join me for my new monthly online group gathering, a kitchen medicine club, a place to grow confidence together!
Each month we will have a live discussion that will be hosted on Zoom.
With all of my heart I would love you to join me, click here to join on Patreon
Together we can transform our kitchens into a unique apothecary.**

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
* Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
* You can also subscribe via Google Podcasts
* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Become a Patron!

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Sending you a warm welcome to my imaginary pop-up tea salon!

I can not yet serve you a latte through your podcast app even though I wish that I could. Maybe someday that will happen. For now, here is a pop-up recipe offering, to make dandelion root vanilla latte homemade. I hope you enjoy!

Dandelion Root Latte with Vanilla Syrup
8 ounces roasted dandelion root tea
2 teaspoons vanilla syrup
¼ cup milk (whole, any nut milk, coconut or organic unsweetened soy)
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, heat on low setting to warm.
Pour warm mixture into a blender and blend for 30-45 seconds until frothy.
Pour into mug or over ice. Enjoy!

To decoct dandelion root for tea:
Combine 2 teaspoons dandelion root powder & 12 ounces water in small saucepan
Heat to simmer, cover, simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat, steep 40 minutes
Strain
To prepare vanilla syrup:
Heat ¾ cup water in small saucepan, add ½ cup sugar, stir until dissolved.
Add ½ whole, split vanilla bean, cover, steep for 20 minutes.
Store in refrigerator

Mentions:
Dandy Blend Instant Herbal Beverage
Dandelion Root cut or powdered
Heilala Vanilla Syrup
Vanilla monograph from King’s American Dispensatory 1898
The Trees on the Mountain from Susannah, Carlyle Floyd composer

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
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Become a Patron!

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

An installment in my continued commitment to not waste the abundant and aggressive nettle crop I have growing in my yard. These green sauces are an embrace of life for me, a pathway to the things that I love: recipe collecting, discovery of brilliant herbal use and reason to shop for interesting ingredients, green or otherwise. Please come along and sauce with me.

To Blanch Nettle/Remove the Sting: ?
Use tongs or gloves to handle prior to blanching
Heat a small amount of water in a large pot
Plunge nettle leaf into hot water or place in a steamer basket
Boil for 3-7 minutes until just wilted
Refresh with cold water or in a bowl of iced water

For Nettle Salsa Verde: ?
6-7 tomatillos, remove husks, scrub under water
4 cups nettle leaf (1/3 pound, blanched
1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered, toss with olive oil & roast at 425 for 25 minutes
2-3 Serrano chilis
4 cloves garlic, peeled
12 to 15 sprigs of cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Combine tomatillos, onion, Serrano chili & garlic in 3 quart pot. Cover with water & bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until vegetables are softened. Blanch nettles while vegetables simmer. When wilted, remove & reserve cooking water. Using a slotted spoon, place softened vegetables into food processor bowl, add blanched nettle with reserved cooking water and additional water from vegetable simmering. Process for 1 minute until blended. Add cilantro & process until smooth. In same pot, heat olive oil, then pour in blended vegetables from food processor. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until desired salsa consistency. Add salt to taste.

For Nettle Pesto: ?
3 cups nettle leaves, blanched
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped into pieces
1/2 cup pine nuts which you can toast a bit or you don’t have to
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2-3 tablespoons softened butter
salt and pepper to taste

Blanch nettle leaf, then squeeze out water. Add to food processor bowl with mint, garlic, pine nuts and lemon juice. Blend until smooth paste forms. With motor running pour in olive oil and continue to blend until smooth. Remove from food processor to bowl, stir in cheese, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Thin with some cooking liquid if serving with pasta or other grains.

Mentions:
Mediterranean Grains and Greens by Paula Wolfert

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Taraxacum officinale = Dandelion: leaf, root, flower, stem

Materia medica tells a plant’s story. Please join me to explore and appreciate one of the herbalism sweethearts, a far cry from bothersome weed. I hope by the end you will love dandelion and never want to spray it with chemicals again. ?

Dandelion leaf monograph

Photos of Tarasque in Tarascon, France

Sources for Dandelion:
Black Locust Gardens – fresh
Oshala Farm – dried
White PIne Community Farm – dried, tincture
Mountain Rose Herbs – dried leaf, root, roasted root, extracts, powder, capsules
Herbalist & Alchemist – leaf extract, root extract, glycerite
Dandelion Wine

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Can we refashion the reputation of weeds? With many negative connotations surrounding weeds it’s hard to switch their image to foods and herbal medicines to love. We may call them edible weeds or wild foods, but I would love to change the name. I’m working on my own relationship with weeds by getting to know lamb’s quarters.

Mentions:
Edible Weeds
Online Foraging Course from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine
Lamb’s quarters photos

Book mentions:
Fasting and Feasting, The Life of Visionary Food Writer Patience Gray by Adam Federman
Honey from a Weed, Fasting and Feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, the Cyclades and Apuliaby Patience Gray
Plats du Jour by Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd
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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Big love to you!

Popping up here to offer you tea, through recipes instead of actually serving it. I promise for the time it takes to wait in line or sit in the drive thru, you can make your own chai, tweak it to how you like it and best of all experience some good medicine.

Recipe for Masala Chai
4 whole cloves
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, that I’ve cut into thin slices
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 or 5 grinds of pepper
1 ½ teaspoon loose leaf black tea
1 ¾ cup water
½ teaspoon honey
¼ organic milk (whole milk, soy milk, oat milk, nut milk or coconut milk)

Combine spices together in a small saucepan and add 1 3/4 cup or 14 ounces water.
Bring this to a gentle boil over medium to low heat covered with the lid ever so slightly open. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoon loose leaf black tea, any kind is really fine. Cover now with the lid tight and let this steep for awhile, about 10 minutes. Then strain it. Pour the tea back into the saucepan, you can actually make this up to this point ahead of time and keep refrigerated until ready to finish as a chai.Add honey and milk. Bring back to simmer and allow film to form on top. Stir before drinking.

Ingredient Sources ?
Dona Chai Concentrate
Classic Chai from Mountain Rose Herbs
Oregon’s Wild Harvest

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Big huge hug sending out to you!

Coughs can be so uncomfortable. Coughs can linger after the cold has long gone. Herbal cough syrups hold possibility to soothe and quiet a cough or support expectoration. Today’s kitchen medicine has three steps and uses three herbs combined to make a cough syrup that keeps in the refrigerator for when you need it.

Ingredients for Wild Cherry ? Cough Syrup:
Dried Mullein Leaf
Dried Wild Cherry Bark
Dried Angelica Root
Water
Honey
Tinctures: 2 ounces each of Wild Cherry, Mullein Leaf and Angelica Root

Cough Syrup Recipe Instructions:
Day 1: make teas (measure as volume in glass measuring cup)
Wild Cherry Bark
6 ounce dried wild cherry bark
6 ounce room temperature or cool water
Combine in glass jar with lid
Let sit, covered at room temperature overnight or 12 hours. Strain.
Refrigerate until ready to use
Mullein Leaf
4 ounce dried mullein leaf
4 ounce hot water
Combine and steep for 30 minutes. Strain
Refrigerate until ready to use

Day 2: make honeys ?
Mullein Leaf
1 ounce prepared strong mullein tea
1 ounce honey
Gently warm tea, then stir in honey until dissolved
Angelica Root
5 ounce dried angelica root
5 ounce honey
Combine angelica root and honey in top of double boiler. Add 1-2 inches of water to bottom of double boiler and heat to gentle simmer. Add top of double boiler and cover. Simmer on lowest heat for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more honey if needed so angelica root remains immersed in it. Strain while still warm.

Day 3: finish syrup ?
Measure 2 ounces of each tincture – angelica root, mullein leaf, wild cherry bark
Combine honeys, tea and tinctures in large(32oz) glass measuring cup. Stir to combine.
Pour into smaller bottles using a funnel for neatness. Label. Keep in refrigerator.

Mentions:
Mountain Rose Herbs – source for dried herbs
Jim McDonald, Herbalist – herbcraft.org
Juliet Blankespoor’s Online Herbal Immersion
Herbalist & Alchemist – source for tinctures
Specialty Bottle – source for glass medicine bottles

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Sometimes prayers are not answered. ? A dedication to my mom …

Mentions:
Herbalist & Alchemist Compound Formula: David Winston’s Grief Relief
No Fear, No Death by Thich Nhat Hanh
Inward by Yung Pueblo

Herbs for next episode’s Cough syrup:
Angelica Root
Wild Cherry Bark
Mullein Leaf

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Adding herbs to a cold and flu season supply kit is easy and valuable peace of mind. Clear a space in your kitchen apothecary for dried herb blends for tea and steam inhalations, tinctures for prevention and symptoms as well as a few homemade syrups. Please listen in as I share my favorites.

Cold and Flu Kitchen Apothecary Survival Kit
Foods for medicine
Honey, garlic, onion, ginger, dried sage & thyme
Tea Blends
Chai blend – 2 parts cinnamon & ginger, 1 part cardamom, ½ part clove & black pepper
Diaphoretic blend – yarrow, peppermint, elderflower, linden flower
Steam inhalation Blend
2 peppermint & elderflower tea bags, a spoon of thyme, sage & oregano and a drop or two of lavender & eucalyptus essential oil
Tinctures and Syrups
For prevention – echinacea tincture, elderberry syrup
Tinctures for coughs – wild cherry bark, mullein leaf, angelica

Interested in a medicine making episode on elderberry syrup? Send me a message and let me know!
dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com

Mentions:
Favorite echinacea tincture: Herbalist & Alchemist Ultimate Echinacea
Echinacea glycerite
Elderberry glycerite
Favorite chaga chai: Masala chai from the Chaga Company
Favorite essential oil brand: Floracopeia

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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There’s no time like the present moment to stock up on kitchen medicine cabinet remedies that nourish the immune system, both for prevention and treating symptoms. This apple cider vinegar and honey combination is more like cooking than medicine making.

If you’re cooking along while you listen, you will need the following:

½ cup grated fresh horseradish root, approximately 6-8 inch piece
½ cup chopped onions, (1 medium onion)
¼ cup chopped garlic, which is about 10-12 cloves depending on their size
¼ cup grated fresh ginger, which is about a 4 inch piece
Chopped fresh or dried chili pepper or ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper ‘‘to taste’
32 ounces organic apple cider vinegar
½ cup honey
Equipment: 1 quart Mason jar with lid; cutting board, sharp knife, hand grater, wax paper

Mentions:
Herbmentor/Learning Herbs – there is a $10 monthly membership fee
Course: Rosemary’s Remedies
#trademarkfreefirecider

Sources for Purchasing Fire Cider Immune Tonics
Herbal Revolution Fire Tonic
Locally Good Herbal Cider Tonic

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Deep roots symbolize durability, resiliency and unfaltering character, they are grounded and strong. For plants, roots are a matter of life or death. Cut off a plant’s roots then replant it, the plant won’t survive. Autumn is the time for roots in the kitchen and in herbalism.

Burdock Root and Carrot Nut Torte: get the recipe here
Burdock Tea Decoction:
Combine 1 tablespoon burdock root, fresh or dried, for each 1 cup water in small saucepan, simmer covered 45 min to 1 hour, then steep for 45 minutes and strain.

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Autumn and roots go hand and hand. I’m outside foraging through my weedy disarrayed backward to find treasure in the form of horseradish root. Join me for a successful harvest.

Gardening podcasts:
Plantrama
Living Homegrown

Mentions:
Plants: horseradish, pokeweed, nettle, burdock, motherwort
Plant Healer Magazine
Chestnut School Of Herbal Medicine

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Do you have a top ten herb list? Is yarrow on your list? Some herbs have such a broad compass that they border on constructing a complete kitchen medicine cabinet. Yarrow is one of these herbs. We talk all about it in this materia medica monograph.

Herbrally – herbal monographs, podcast and much more

Yarrow’s Latin Name: Achillea millefollium
Henriette’s Herbal: Photos of Yarrow

Sources for Yarrow:
Mountain Rose Herbs : dried leaf & flower, powdered leaf & flower, seeds
Rosemary’s Garden: dried leaf & flower
ZacK Woods Herb Farm: fresh & dried
Avena Botanicals: tincture, soak & salve
Healing Spirits Herb Farm: oil & salve
Herbalist & Alchemist: tinctures
Floracopeia: essential Oil

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

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